


Classified

by wolflend



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, I'm guessing it's going to be a Zen fic, I'm not sure where I'm going with this yet, Reader Is Not MC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-20 23:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9520595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolflend/pseuds/wolflend
Summary: She seemed to reach a conclusion and, rallying her confidence, she spoke up."I don't think that I should stay in the RFA," she told them.  "This job was just too much for me."-----The first party after Rika's death was somewhat lacklustre.  Faced with the decision of putting their activities on hold or scouting a new event coordinator, the members of the RFA find themselves back at square one.  They decide to approach the situation on their own terms - no unpleasant surprises this time...





	1. Prologue

The party had been an absolute flop. 

No, that was being too hard on their new coordinator. It had been alright. Maybe they had been wrong to expect a fundraiser with the elegance and number of attendees to rival the ones that they’d had while Rika was still in charge. Had their new planner even wanted to do this? She hadn’t know exactly what was expected of her, her objective had been explained vaguely at best, and she’d only had a week to prepare.

“I’m really sorry for how this turned out,” she said, speaking into the defeated silence that hung between them. They were sitting together in the venue that had been rented for the event. It seemed overly large now that the guests had all gone.

“It wasn’t really your fault,” V interjected. “I should have known that it wasn’t enough time. I’ve let everyone down again…”

Jumin immediately protested his friend’s self-degradation, and even Yoosung didn’t seem willing to place the blame entirely on the older man’s shoulders.

The party coordinator chewed on her lip, clearly weighing something on her mind. She seemed to reach a conclusion and, rallying her confidence, she spoke up.

“I don’t think that I should stay in the RFA," she told them softly. The other members started to contradict her, but she held out a hand to stop them and continued.

"This job was just too much for me. I’ve never been good at persuading people to do anything, and organisation isn’t really my forte. I’m grateful for having had this opportunity and truly enjoyed getting to know each of you. I won’t lie and say that it was easy. I still don’t understand how you can take the breaches in security that occurred so calmly.” She shook her head as if to clear it. They all knew she was thinking back to the bomb scare in Rika’s apartment. 

“Not only am I not good at this, but I don’t know if I can continue to put my trust in my safety here. So… this is me doing you the favour of stepping down now.” 

She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder, looking around at the group with a sad smile.

“Really though, thank you for all the good times.”

As she turned towards the door to go, Yoosung choked out the thought that was on everyone’s mind. 

“D-does this mean that we won’t be having any parties anymore?”

At that, her shocked gaze snapped back to look him directly in the eyes.

“I hope you do! Please, please don’t stop trying because of me. I’m leaving because I don’t want the next time to be like this as well.”

Jaehee exchanged careful glances with Jumin, Seven, and V before nodding slowly and clearing her throat. “Thank you. I understand. We will likely hold the party again, but we will need to discuss this further.”

Their now ex-coordinator smiled that same sad smile again, gave them a quick wave, and slipped out the door. The room stayed frozen even after she had left.

***

Zen had watched the exchange almost passively. He hadn’t been that surprised by the low party turnout, and he doubted that anyone other than Yoosung had failed to see the warning signs leading up to the big day. He stretched out his back over the top of his chair, breaking the silence with a sigh.

“Well that’s that,” he said. “We should find someone else in time this time around. As soon as possible, really. I - “

“I will put out an ad in the classifieds and start interviews immediately,” Jumin interrupted.

“Like hell you will!” Zen snapped. “This is something that we should all decide on together this time, Jumin Han. Plus, you probably have terrible judgement. Your hiring record isn’t exactly the best. Jaehee’s the only good assistant you’ve had, and she’s too good for you!”

Jumin rolled his eyes at this outburst, while Jaehee coloured slightly before stuttering out a continuation of the discussion.

“My employment… situation aside,” she began, “we do need a way of finding a competent and trustworthy person soon. What other options would you suggest?”

707 had been rocking back and forth on his chair. He slammed his feet on the floor to punctuate the end of the assistant’s sentence, making them all jump to attention.

“I’ve got it! Eureka!” he gasped. “An internet… investigation!”

Before any of the other members could get a word in sideways, Yoosung piped up.

“What’s that?”

“Oh! I’m so glad you asked.” 707 had taken on a conspiratorial air. “Simply put: I’m sure that there’s someone out there somewhere who has mentioned and dreamed of wanting a job just like this one. Several someones actually. Maybe even one hundred someones!’

Zen sniggered, he couldn’t help it. Jaehee pinched the bridge of her nose. Yoosung looked enraptured.

“But Seven,” concern suddenly crept its way into the blonde boy’s features. “How do we make sure they’re trustworthy?”

“Or competent,” interjected Jaehee. Jumin sighed.

“Hoho! Again, what a pleasure to answer this question.” Seven was in his element now. “There’s nothing simpler in fact. Once I find these someones, I’ll just access their entire life story and check!”

“I don’t think we’re that desperate,” Zen scoffed over the redhead’s ensuing giggle. “We could just - wait, V. Where are you going?”

The photographer was putting away his chair and gathering his things together. 

“I’m late for another meeting,” he answered their expectant glances. “I’ve stayed too long already. I do think that we should continue with the parties. Rika, she… Rika would have wanted it. As for finding a new coordinator to deal with the guests - leave that to me. Luciel, I’ll be calling you tonight. Sorry everyone, I hope to see you soon.”

He had crossed the room as he spoke, and was out of sight before anyone had the chance to stop him.

Seven smirked. “I’d best be on my way too. I’m glad someone liked my idea. I’ll see you-” he pointed to each of them in turn, “-in the chatroom.”

When he had left as well, Zen looked around at the remaining members.

“Maybe we should just all keep our eyes and ears open,” he said with careful optimism. He needed to distract Yoosung from V’s hasty exit, and reassure Jaehee. He didn't really care about that trustfund kid. Jumin would follow whatever his childhood friend decided anyway.

“There’s someone out there who’s a perfect fit for the RFA, we just haven’t found them yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a few hours of down time on the train yesterday, and this is what came of that. 
> 
> If you're seeing this, thank you for reading! This is my first foray into Mystic Messenger fics, and I'd love to know if anyone is interested in me continuing it. I don't have any super clear ideas yet, but I'd like to make this several chapters long at least c:


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've had a terrible month. You need a job. The ad seems sketchy but it can't hurt to give them a call, right?

You rolled over onto your back and blinked a few times, giving your eyes a few moments to focus on the stray sunbeams that were splayed across the bedroom ceiling.  As you settled into consciousness, the sinking feeling just under your ribs grew stronger, reaching its peak when you heard a knock on the door across the room from you.  You groaned, burying your face into your pillow again.

Failure.

“I’m coming!” you chirped in your most upbeat morning voice.  

You heard your mother’s slippers shuffling across the hardwood floor away from your room and towards the kitchen.  You could see the scene clearly in your mind.  Your father waiting until you were awake before serving breakfast so that it wouldn’t get cold.  Your mother absentmindedly sipping her tea while she shook her head at the newspaper.  You grimaced.  It was a familiar sight that should have brought a wave of nostalgia with it - some bitter, mostly sweet.  Instead you dreaded walking into the room, as though seeing these things with your own eyes would finally confirm the events of the past month.

You lightly slapped your cheeks to look a bit more alert and sat up.  Slippers on, housecoat on, out into the hallway and into the kitchen. 

The morning routine really was the same as you had it in your memory.  Your parents looked a bit older, but the smile your father gave you as he saw you walk through the door was the same genuine grin as ever. 

“Eat up, eat up,” he told you, plating your breakfast as you sat down. “Don’t let it get cold.”

***

When you had finished high school four years ago, it had seemed like nothing could go wrong.  You had graduated in the upper percentile of your class, and received a generous scholarship from one of the top universities in the country.  Your parents had been a bit sad to see you go, but proud of your achievements, and you had felt so sure of yourself.  

University had been tough, but nothing you couldn’t handle.  You would be lying if you said that it had been an exceptionally happy three years, but you thought you had handled it fairly well.  Living on your own for the first time, studying, getting to know people… It had all been new.

You clearly hadn’t handled it as well as you’d thought.  You still didn’t know the reason, but as your final semester sped by, you noticed something wasn’t right.  Your whole graduating class was looking for work, and at first you had been just as optimistic as the rest.  After all, you were young, qualified, and intelligent.  However, interview after interview passed without success.    


_“Not enough experience.”_  

_“Too shy.”_

_“We’ve already selected another candidate.”_

_“Too opinionated.”_

_“We’re only holding interviews because it’s a prerequisite from our sponsors.”_

_“Too young.”_

_“We just filled our last vacancy.”_  


The self-doubt that you felt increased exponentially with every rejection.  Clearly your classmates had something you were lacking.  Clearly the problem was with you.  Several hits to your dignity and tear-filled calls to your parents later, you were all set to move back home after graduation and think of where to go from there.

But then your last interview came through.

“We can’t offer the same high salary some larger corporations can,” the manager had told you. “But we have a steady business flow, and a good work environment.”

You had been so relieved to have found a position at all that you didn’t mind - and she had been right.  When you started work you were almost glad that none of the other placements had worked out.  The quality of the work was superb, the atmosphere was comforting, and everyone worked together as a unit.  

Six months after you arrived at the company, it went bankrupt.

You weren’t clear on the details.  Apparently there had been an ongoing embezzlement of funds, and the business owner was set to appear in court over it.  It no longer affected you.  You had been kept on for a little longer to organise some of the fallout, but as of last week you had been let go.

Last night you had packed up your things and moved back to your childhood home.

***

“What’s the matter?” your father’s voice called you back to the table, where you sat picking at your food. “Does it not taste good?” 

You opened your mouth to snap a reply, but stuffed a spoonful of nearly cold scrambled eggs in instead, giving a thumbs up.

“It’s great!” you told him after you had finished chewing. “Sorry, I’m just a bit tired.  Moving took a lot of out of me.” 

He nodded sympathetically and you lost yourself in your thoughts again, making sure to stay present enough to continue eating.  As you finished your food, your mother slid a section of the newspaper towards you, tapping a small column in the centre of the page.

“That could be of interest to you,” she said, turning back to read the editorials she was currently working her way through.

You scanned the page and couldn’t help but to scoff.  People looking for dates, ‘Have you seen this cat?’, tools and bikes for sale, ‘Come away to Paradise’...

“Mom, no one posts legitimate job adverts in the classifieds anymore.  These are probably all just sketchy guys looking for someone naive to scam.”

She looked over at you and tapped the write up again, “I’d like you to consider this, as hiring season is over for the year.  Do you have something to lose?”

Clenching your teeth and swallowing your pride, you read the short blurb.

 

_‘Charity Event Coordinator._

_This is a full-time position, salary to be discussed._

_The ideal candidate will be willing to relocate for this position._

_Requires excellent organisational and communication skills,_

_as well as the ability to improvise and work well under pressure._

_Contact: Kim Jihyun +82 10-5514-@@@@ ’_

 

You raised an eyebrow as you reached the end. 

“I’m not an event coordinator, mother.”

“No, but you could be.  The rest sounds like you, and although it’s nice having you back, I don’t think you’d be happy to sit around waiting for the next set of big job opportunities to come through,”  she slid the house phone towards you.  “Just call.  It can’t hurt.”

You considered it for a moment.  As much as it irked you, she was right.  You picked up the newspaper, and then the phone as an afterthought.

“I’ll be in my room then,” you said quietly, getting up from your place at the table.  “Breakfast was good, dad.”

There was no reason this call would be any different from the dozens you’d made while job hunting a few months ago, but as you sat on the edge of your bed, thumb hovering over the ‘call’ button, you felt nervous.  There had been no company name.  No concrete starting salary.  Charity, they said.  What kind of charity?  You held your breath and pressed the button, lifting the receiver to your ear as it started to ring.

“Kim Jihyun speaking.”

Your breath hitched in your throat.  You hadn’t expected him to pick up so fast.  It was almost as though he had been waiting for the call.

“Ah… Yes!  I’m calling about the ad you posted for an event coordinator.”

“Thank you for contacting me.  Give me a moment, I… which button did he tell me to press again? Oh, there.  Sorry, you have my full attention now.”

***

Seven looked over from the screen in front of him when he heard his phone buzz.  He swiped aside the notification telling him that V had started another call about the coordinator job.  They had a few options at this point, but no one that he was blown away by. 

After the last RFA meeting during which their previous party planner had quit, V had called him quite late to discuss how they would proceed.  They had settled on a combination of the suggested ideas.  They would post small ads, they didn’t want thousands of applicants, and as they received calls V would patch them through to him for monitoring.  If someone seemed a likely candidate, Seven would run a thorough background check on them.  Really thorough.

He pulled his headphones up lopsidedly to cover one ear and tapped into the phone call.

“I see, yes you certainly are academically qualified,” V was saying as he adjusted the volume. “Do you have any experience in event planning or with charities in specific?”

“Unfortunately it was not part of my previous job description,” the young woman replied somewhat hesitantly. “However, I did often help put together sponsorship events for the company.  I usually had to check the details on our rented space, or make sure that the bigger names had R.S.V.P’d in time.”

Seven’s eyebrows shot up.  Maybe… His phone buzzed again.  In missing the beginning of the conversation, he hadn’t heard the girl’s name.  V had just made his job a lot easier by sending it to him.  He pulled up some information on her on one of his peripheral screens and scanned through it as the phone interview continued.

“This position would require you to move into an apartment provided by our organisation,”  V had covered the main topics already, and was buying him time. “Oh, do you have a smartphone?  We do most of our planning on a specific app.”

“Yes, of course,” she sounded amused, her voice matching the smirking picture Seven had just pulled up on his screen. “I do still have some questions myself.  If I may ask, what is the organisation I would be working for?  What is the starting salary?”

Finished!  He typed out a few quick texts to V as she finished her question, and hit send.

_‘Qualifications: ✓_

_Criminal record check: ✓_

_Online presence: ✓_

_Location: not too far lolol'_

_‘Everything looks good to me. Go for it’_

***

“You may have heard of the RFA?  We disappeared from the public eye a few years ago, but have been building up our- Excuse me,” he paused.  Was he texting while on the phone?  You were certain that you had heard a buzz that time.  “Yes, as I was saying, we are building up the organisation again.  We have independent funding, and if you agree to an interview - we would like to offer you one - then we can discuss your salary there.  Is there a time next week that would suit?”  
  
He had made that decision quickly.  The call had gone a lot better than you had anticipated, and you had mostly shaken off your initial unease.   

“Of course,” you answered, before remembering that there had been talk of relocation. “That is...  Where would I need to travel to for this interview?”

“We’ll come to you,” he assured you. “What about that cafe down the road from you, Tea Time?”

You were stunned into silence, the nerves were back.

“Yes… That is a cafe near me.”

“I’m sorry if I surprised you!” his apology seemed genuine, at least. “I get the location of all these calls automatically,  I should have mentioned earlier… Does Thursday at 14:00 work?”

“...Yes, I’ll see you then.”

“See you next week, thank you for calling.”

He hung up.  You started at the phone in your hand for a moment, trying to process the conversation.  It would be a public place, you could always leave if you needed or wanted to.

You did really want a job, and you had heard good things about the RFA.

You grabbed your cell phone off the bedside table and opened up your calendar.

‘ _RFA interview, Tea Time, 14:00_ ’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is moving really slowly - and there's minimal RFA characters in this chapter - sorry about that! The next chapter should cover the interview and then some. Basically the story will pick up from then on c:
> 
> V's number is from the RFA Orientation Guidebook. Any suggestions on what I should do with the last four digits?
> 
> Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know in the comments ^^


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Sorry about that,” he said, shaking your hand. “I didn't see you there. I would appreciate it if you would call me V.”_
> 
> \-----
> 
> The days had crawled by while you waited for the call from V. You had been under the impression that he would let you know where you stood regardless of the outcome of the other interviews. However, by the time a week had passed you had accepted the rejection.

The skirt was too short for the time of year, you decided, tugging it off again and hanging it back in your closet. Mr. Kim had texted you earlier during the week to reconfirm the date and time of the interview, and had told you then to _‘Wear something casual. It’s important for us to be able to see your personality.’_

Well, there went your business casual safety net.

You picked up the jeans you’d had on before the skirt, and a glance at the clock on your bedroom wall told you that this was going to have to be it. You didn’t have any time left to waffle around. After slipping your favourite sweater over your head, you took a look in the mirror for the umpteenth time to ensure that you were presentable. The jeans and heavy cardigan made you look more like you were going to hang out with friends than to a job interview, but at this point it didn’t matter much to you. You had also applied for a few part-time jobs since your phone call with the charity organisation, and if this interview didn’t go well, there would be others…This one seemed the most interesting though. Once you had gotten over the sketchiness of it, and reassured yourself that there was only so much that could happen in a popular cafe like Tea Time, you hadn’t been able to shake your curiosity about the RFA. You had done some research on their “parties” - they were basically enormously elaborate events with a full roster of rich and famous guests. There seemed to be a link to C&R, as the heir to the company was involved, so it surprised you that the ad had been in such an inconspicuous place.

You fastened your hair back away from your face with a clip, tucked your phone and wallet into the front pockets of your cardigan and peeked into the living room to wave a quick goodbye to your parents before leaving the house. The last minute rush had ended up giving you enough time to be leisurely in your walk down to the end of the street.

Tea Time really brought back memories for you. In high school, you would often meet with your friends in the cozy cafe over the weekend to have a slice of one of their amazing cakes and a cup of hot chocolate. The door chimed with familiar brightness as you stepped into the shop, scanning the tables and nooks for someone who could be your interviewer. If he was there already, he gave no sign, and you decided to sit at one of the smaller tables beside the decorated front window, pulling one of the menus towards you to look through while you waited.

The jingle of the door chimes drew your attention away from the description of a particularly delicious sounding blueberry tart towards the man who had just entered. With a hair colour like that, you shouldn't have been worried about missing him. You recognized him right away from some of the press photos from older RFA parties, but it seemed odd to you that he was wearing sunglasses on such a grey day. You waved in his direction to show him where you were sitting, but he didn't seem to notice.

“Mr. Kim?” you called tentatively.

He turned towards you at that, and starting making his way to the table with a gentle smile. You breathed a sigh of relief. If it hadn't been him, that would have been embarrassing.

“Sorry about that,” he said, shaking your hand. “I didn't see you there.”

Before you had a chance to assure him that it was alright, a waitress popped up beside you and asked for your order. You slid a menu across the table, but the young man didn't look at it.

“Just a cappuccino for me, thank you,” he told her, and she turned to look at you.

“Um… hot chocolate please,” you took a quick look back down at the menu you had been perusing. “And a slice of blueberry tart.”

You hadn't been meaning to order it, but it just sounded too good. Once the waitress had left with your order, you turned back to see that Mr. Kim still hadn't taken his sunglasses off. The whole situation wasn't exactly typical, so you figured it only made sense for the members of the organization to be a bit strange as well. He felt through the contents of the shoulder bag he had been carrying and pulled out a folder which he placed in front of you.

“Let's introduce ourselves properly while we wait for our drinks,” he said. “I had to use my legal name when posting the ad, but would appreciate it if you would call me V. It's the name I go by in my work as a photographer as well.”

You nodded, and introduced yourself again. Certainly interesting people.

“How does a photographer come to be in charge of a fundraising organization?” you couldn't help but ask.

“I sometimes ask myself the same thing,” he chuckled, but it seemed dry. “We often auction off my photographs at our parties, and use the proceeds to help those in need. I took over the organization once our previous leader...left us.”

“I see…” you hadn't meant to ask a prickly question right off the bat. Fortunately, before you could continue putting your foot in your mouth, the waitress arrived with your orders. When she placed your plate in front of you, you knew you wouldn't regret giving in to temptation.

“That smells wonderful,” V spoke what you were thinking out loud. “I should tell Jaehee about this place, I think she'd enjoy it.”

“Jaehee?”

“Ah, yes. We’ll get to that in a bit,” he stirred a creamer into his coffee while motioning for you to open the folder still lying on the table in front of you. “First things first.”

You put down your fork and pulled out the contents of the folder. There was a series of imaginary problem solving scenarios, something that looked like a guest list, and a much shorter list of names on the last page. You noticed ‘Jaehee Kang’ among them.

The interview ended up being the most relaxed one you'd ever had. V had a calm presence and was easy to talk to, and although the situations you were meant to respond to were somewhat absurd - why an event planner would need to discuss pancakes for cats was a bit beyond you - you seemed to be giving answers that he was happy with overall. You discussed the tasks of the job, mostly winning over the A-list guests typical of the RFA’s parties as well as keeping the other members updated on any issues that would arise. V also introduced the other members to you - those were the names on the last page. The group was a real hodgepodge of people from different walks of life, including a college student and an up and coming musical actor. It was becoming more clear to you why this whole process had been so unconventional.

By the time you had made your way through the documents in front of you, you had come to the realization that you really wanted this job.

“I think that's it,” V looked as though he were going through a mental checklist one final time. “I still have a few interviews to do over the weekend, but I will tell you already that you’re the most promising candidate so far.”

He didn't seem to be joking, but you didn't want to hope.

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” he continued before you could doubt yourself too much. “If possible, if you join us, we’d like you to move into an apartment that's not too far from here. I'm sure you can understand that we have sensitive information about and contact details for some fairly important people in our records, and so this apartment has heightened security for that reason. This would naturally be covered by the RFA.”

You nodded, unsure of how to respond. It sounded like he was giving you the job already.

“I'm sure the details will be cleared up when you next contact me,” you said a bit lamely, feeling like you had to respond in some way.

“Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I’ve got to run,” he shook your hand again, tucked the folder back into his bag, and walked up to the counter to pay before you could step in. He gave a quick wave goodbye in your general direction before the door swung closed behind him to the dancing of the chimes.

***

The days crawled by while you waited for the call from V. You had been under the impression that he would let you know where you stood regardless of the outcome of the other interviews. However, by the time a week had passed you had accepted the silence as rejection, and were trying to decide between the two interviews you’d passed successfully: working at the counter of the local post office, and hostessing at a restaurant. You’d written both of the numbers down and were trying to make up your mind on which of the two to call first when your phone started ringing. You half dropped it in surprise, fumbling to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Hello V!” you answered the call, nervously cheerful.

“Hello again, I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to get back to you,” the photographer was calm, as always it seemed. “I’m calling to let you know that we’ve talked it over and that we would like to welcome you to the RFA as our new event coordinator - that is, as long as you haven’t found other employment elsewhere while waiting?”

You assured him that you hadn’t, and that you were happy to hear from him, silently thanking whatever stars had stopped you from calling the other positions even thirty minutes earlier.

“I’ve been waiting for your call actually,” you continued. “I enjoyed meeting you at the interview and felt that I would handle this job well.”

He had gone silent on the other end of the line, and you briefly wondered if you’d somehow said something wrong, but his voice crackled in again after a moment.

“- agree, and - Sorry, did I cut out? I apologize, the service where I am at the moment isn’t the most reliable,” he seemed to be slightly out of breath, but there didn’t seem much point to you in asking about it. “As I was saying, it would be great if you could come take a look at the apartment today or tomorrow, and start moving in by the weekend. Zen said that he was available to show you around this afternoon, if you have time?”

“I do, should I contact him then?” you asked, assuming V wasn’t in the best place to have a long conversation.

“Yes, that would be best. I’ll message you his contact details and the address of the apartment. I should get going, I’m happy that you’ll be joining us, and hope I’ll be able to talk to you soon.”

He hung up before you had a chance to return the formalities, and only a few seconds later your phone buzzed to notify you of the text he’d sent. You made note of the address, added Zen’s number to your contacts, and hit the call button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this is progressing so slowly! I had hoped to get further in this chapter but the interview took ages... I realized while writing this that this is the longest non-original thing I've ever written. Yikes. I hope it's readable ^^;
> 
> As always, comments and suggestions are highly appreciated! 
> 
> (In other news, is BioWare writing V for me? Jihyun "I have to go" Kim -____- )


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _They had decided there wouldn’t be any secrecy this time around. Although he agreed that the dramatic lead up to the previous party didn’t need to be recounted, it made him a bit uneasy that V was just skipping over explanations._
> 
> \-----
> 
> You meet up with Zen to take a look at your soon-to-be home. He's not so sure that he likes what he sees.

The apartment really was close to where your parents lived.  You were looking up a bus route while you waited for Zen to pick up the phone, and discovered that it would only take you about twenty minutes to get there.  The neighbourhood seemed very nice, quite a few steps above what you considered to be within your personal budget, and you were suddenly grateful that V had mentioned right away that you wouldn’t have to pay rent.  You were clicking through the different transportation options when a slightly rough yet cheerful voice pulled your attention back to your phone pressed against your ear.

“Hey, it’s Zen!”

"Hello Zen,  I'm the new event coordinator for the RFA," you began, unsure of how much the other members of the organisation had been involved in the hiring process. "V asked me to contact you to set up a time to view the apartment I’ll be moving into.  Are you free this afternoon?"

"A pretty lady asking me if I'm free... Is this finally the date I've been waiting for?"  

He sounded so sincere that you began to stammer out objections, feeling a blush creeping into your cheeks.  You hadn't thought that you had sounded anything but professional, and really didn't want to start off on the wrong foot right after getting the job by seeming to lead someone on. Luckily, you soon heard restrained laughter on the other end of the line that quickly became a full-fledged chuckle.

“I’m sorry,” Zen continued once he had managed to contain his laughter. “Sometimes that kind of stuff just slips out.  Tell me if I ever make you uncomfortable, alright?”

“Alright…” you agreed, still wondering whether he had time to show you around that day.  He hadn’t really answered.

“You just caught me just as I was leaving rehearsal, so I guess it’s your lucky day!” You could almost hear him wink as he spoke.  You rolled your eyes.  “I’m free all afternoon.  Do you just want to meet at the apartment, or should I pick you up on my bike?”

While you appreciated the enthusiasm, you felt that it would likely be best if you made your own way to the apartment, and told him so, hoping he wouldn’t see it as unfriendly on your part.

“I just think that it’ll help me orient myself a little more quickly,” you admitted. “If I’m going to be living there I should probably know how to get to there on my own.”

“Maybe it was a little selfish of me to try to show off to the new RFA member before anyone else gets the chance,” Zen sighed dramatically.  “Text me when you’re on your way!  It only takes me fifteen minutes to get there, or less in case of emergency…”  

The laugh that followed that last statement seemed slightly forced and nervous to you - the first crack in his boisterous confidence that you had noticed during the entire phone call.  Had there been an emergency before?  You couldn’t really see anything bad happening in that part of the city.

Zen cleared his throat, and you realised you’d gone silent in thought.

“Uhm...yes! I will let you know once I leave.  It’s only about twenty minutes for me too.  I’ll be in contact.”

“Then… it’s a date!”  he said with an audible smirk, and hung up before you could get in another word.

***

‘ _On my way._ ’

Zen checked the time on her text again.  She had said twenty minutes, right?  He was trying not to get antsy as the time since the message crept past half an hour.  He had locked his motorcycle up on the road off to the side of the apartment building, and was waiting in the entryway near the door.  He wondered if she had gotten lost on her way.  Perhaps he should call...  

He was about to hit the call button when he saw a young woman running towards the building, checking house numbers as she went.  Zen recognised her nearly instantly as the new coordinator from the photo on her CV.  He had a good memory for faces.  

Right before she got to Rika’s building, she slowed down to a walk and smoothed down her clothes down from where they had bunched up as she ran.  She neatly tucked her hair behind her ears and, had it not been for her rather flushed face, she would have looked as though she had been walking casually along the whole time.

She looked up to catch Zen watching her, and blushed one shade darker yet.  He smirked.  It was sort of an endearing expression on her features.

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” she panted as she arrived beside him, still out of breath from her sprint.  “I missed my bus transfer and then the next bus wasn’t coming for another ten minutes and I figured that it would be faster if I just walked but then I started off walking the wrong way and so…”

Zen couldn’t help himself, he had to laugh.  She was so unlike formal and overly polite person he had imagined over the phone.  He bit his lip to stop the laughter once he saw how frustrated she was with herself.

“Sorry, sorry! I shouldn’t be laughing,” he assured her. “It’s fine, really.  I was just about to call you to make sure you weren’t lost.”

She gave him a small smile as her breathing slowed to a normal rhythm.

“I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

“No, no.  Not at all.  Shall we?”  Zen opened the front door and held it open.  As he crossed the foyer and got into the elevator with the young woman, he couldn’t help but to think of the last time he had come to this place.  

After hearing that Seven had planted a bomb in Rika’s apartment, he had freaked out.  He didn’t really believe that it was for the protection of, well, anything.  It had been strange enough that a stranger had shown up in the chatroom without invitation, and he still didn’t totally buy V’s story that that whole series of events was “Rika’s Will”.  Luckily nothing had happened when the apartment’s security systems had been compromised, but he had taken it upon himself to force the address out of Seven regardless and relocate their event coordinator to a hotel run by C&R.  Yoosung seemed to think that it had been a daring and romantic act of chivalry, but Zen considered his actions simple human decency.  Someone living somewhere with a bomb and unpredictable security system had to be evacuated, that was just common sense.  Besides, he had only known the woman for a week at that point.  How Yoosung read romance into the situation was a mystery to him.

The elevator chimed its arrival on the fourteenth floor, and Zen led the way down the hallway to the left, his shorter companion craning her neck around him to get a good look at her surroundings.

“So! This is your new place,” he gestured grandly at the door now in front of him.  “Go ahead and let us in.”

He told her the code for the lock on the door, and watched as she made a note of it on her phone before punching in the numbers that made the little light above the handle flash green.  Seeing her check with him for confirmation, he nodded, and she swung the door open.  The look on her face as she took in the room in front of her was priceless.  

He had to give V credit for the renovations.  The apartment had been nice before, but a fresh coat of paint had been applied since Zen had last been there.  Some of the furniture was different as well - the desk was a notable example, with matching wooden filing cabinets stained a warm brown.  There was no sign of the strange metal lockers that used to dominate the wall near the bed.  The computer was also clearly new, and Sevens hand was obvious there.  Zen didn’t doubt that the hacker had built the machine himself, and that the security on it was even more impenetrable than before.  As he continued to show his new colleague around, he started to wonder where the money had come from for all of these changes.  Perhaps Jumin had helped out as well.

“Any questions?” he asked her, finishing off his quick tour.  Finding a beaming grin on her face in response, he felt some colour rise into his cheeks.  She had an adorable smile, he had to admit that much to himself.  He returned the grin and started making his way toward the door, planning on leaving her with a bit of time to get her bearings.

“Oh, Zen,” she called back to him. “V mentioned something about an app that I needed for work and to stay in contact with the rest of the RFA? Could you help me with that before you go?”

Zen stopped and turned on his heels to walk back towards her.  V hadn’t done that yet?   How much had he even told her?  He felt his previously carefree mood giving way to slight suspicion.  They had decided there wouldn’t be any secrecy this time around.  Although he agreed that the dramatic lead up to the previous party didn’t need to be recounted, as those problems had been fixed at the source, it made him a bit uneasy that V was skipping over explanations and leaving it up to the newest RFA member to dig up any information she needed.

“Yeah, of course I can get that downloading for you.  It’s just a little tricky since the security on it is so tight.  We’ll have to get our computer whiz to clear you for access.”  He fired off a quick text to Seven, who responded faster than Zen had thought possible.  He tried to look around inconspicuously to see if cameras were still installed around the apartment, but couldn’t see any obvious sign of them.

“Alright.  He says you should be good to go now,” he told her.  A prompt popped up on her phone’s screen, and she nodded as she confirmed the download.

“Thank you for taking the time to show me around today,” she told him as he turned to go again.  “I’ll be moving in tomorrow I suppose.”

Zen considered a moment before responding.  

“Did you want me to come help out?  I only have rehearsals in the morning again.  I don’t have a car so I can’t help you bring your things over, but if you’d like company while you move…” he trailed off with sudden embarrassment, hoping he wasn’t being forward.  He just wanted her to feel welcome.  Thankfully, she didn’t leave him hanging long.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, that would be really helpful,” she answered warmly.

“Just let me know when I can come by,” his grin was already back on his face, “I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

“See you!” he heard her reply as he closed the door and headed back down to the street. 

*** 

You waited to hear the door click closed behind Zen before flinging yourself onto the mattress of your new bed, gleefully finding it just as comfortable as it looked.  You briefly laughed out loud into the empty room before composing yourself again.  This wasn’t just for fun.  You were here to work, and the apartment was a part of that, you told yourself.  Apparently, so was an incredibly attractive colleague.

You had a vague recollection of hearing Zen’s name before somewhere, perhaps from a friend or in the paper.  V had told you he was a musical actor, and he certainly had the dramatic flair to match.  It wasn’t that you didn’t like theatre, but you weren’t super knowledgeable when it came to the people involved.  You’d never been the type to work yourself up over an actor.  Add that to the fact that you hadn’t even been in town for the past few years…  However, If you were going to be in such a close-knit organisation with him, you figured you should probably acquaint yourself with his main body of work.  Maybe you’d ask him about it tomorrow.  He definitely seemed to be  the type who would love to tell you everything you wanted to know and more.

Your phone notified you that the RFA app had finished downloading, pulling you out of your reverie.  You carefully filled your information into the form it provided you with, and found that it truly was a hub from which you could conduct all your business.  The only thing missing was any information on previous guests, and you were certain that V had mentioned that being the reason for all the security in the first place.

Getting up off the bed, you started to go through the cabinets near the desk.  Some of them held office supplies, others the expected guest information, but a whole row was locked.  You looked around for a set of keys, but without success.  It must have been an oversight - it would be strange if there were things in your own apartment that you didn’t have access to.  You opened up the app again to find the chatroom, hoping that you could ask whoever was online if they knew what you could do.

No one was online.

You sighed. You’d ask someone tomorrow.

You weren’t officially on the clock yet anyway, and you needed to get back home to organise your move.  You had someone else counting on you getting it done tomorrow, and you didn’t want to let him down since he had really appeared to be looking forward to it.

You would be lying if you told yourself you weren’t looking forward to it too.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long to get up! I've had a really hectic past few weeks. I hope it's enjoyable anyways, I'll try to get the next one up with less delay c:
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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